Clutch mechanism.



G. E. BEACH.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLIOATIOR FILED JUNE so, 1913.

Patentd July 14,1914.

Fig. 4

TME NORRIS PETERS Ca. FHbTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. By C.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIQE.

CLARENCE E. BEACH, 0F BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE O. KNAPP,OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. BEACH, of Binghamton, inthe county ofBroome and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clutch Mechanisms, of which the following is aspecification.

It is frequently necessary to install alarm gongs and similar devices inelevated and more or less inaccessible positions, as for example at theintersections of congested thoroughfares in cities, in order to givetimely warning to the police or those in con trol of traffic, of theapproach of fire engines, ladder trucks or the like, and it has beenfound necessary under such circumstances to employ for the purpose gongsor alarm mechanism operated by spring motors, and electricallycontrolled from police or fire headquarters. As it is usual to mountsuch devices on poles or to attach them to the walls of buildings atsome distance from the street level, and as they must be wound atintervals depending upon frequency of use, their proper operation andmaintenance involves considerable trouble and expense, their re-windingrequiring the use of ladders or the services of regular linemen. Inseeking a means to obviate this difiiculty I have devised a windingattachment which is peculiarly applicable not only to the specificdevices in question, but to others used under similar conditions, andwhich in construction is simple and practicable and in operation certainand not liable to become disarranged nor to interfere in any way withthe proper operation of the alarm mechanism.

This attachment constitutes the improvement upon which my presentapplication is based and, described in general terms, it consists in adriving member which may be of any desired form but for convenience Ihave shown same in the accompanying drawings and'throughout thespecifications have referred to the driving member as a pulley housed inthe box or casing containing the alarm mechanism, and operated by a cordor chain having a ring at its end that may be reached and engaged by apole provided with a suitable hook. The pulley is adapted to be rotatedby the chain through a definite are and to return to normal positionupon the release of tension on the chain, and in its forward movement toengage the driven member which may be the spindle of the Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed June 30, 1913.

Patented July 14, 1914.

Serial No. 776,604..

alarm mechanism, through the instrumentality of gripping rolls workingin the beveled compartments of a cage secured to the pulley. To prevent,however, the locking of the spindle at any time when the latter isreleased for the purpose of operating the alarm, and for insuring theproper return and operation of the pulley after each forward movement ofthe same, I employ a determining member, which may be a sleeveintermediate to the pulley and spindle, and held in frictional contactwith the stationary frame of the signaling mechanism, which has fingersprojecting into the cage between the rollers which prevent the latterfrom amming when the spindle is rotated by the signaling mechanism, butwhich will allow the rollers to jam when the pulley is turned to windsaid mechanism.

This improvement is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a central section of the device showing the spindle andportions of the frame or casing of the signaling mechanism. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the inner side of the pulley. Fig. 3 is a view of the outerside of the same with the plate which covers the roller cage removed.Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the sleeve, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged planView of the gripping mechanism including the rolls and cage.

A designates the main spindle of any motor for a signaling or alarmmechanism which is to be turned towind the spring or its equivalent ofthe motor, and B is a portion of the frame or casing supporting the saidmechanism, which, being of any ordinary construction, is not shown inthe drawings. The spindle A turns freely in a sleeve G having at one enda flange D held in frictional engagement by springs E with the frame Band at the other end fingers or projections F. The pulley G is mountedupon and turns freely about the sleeve C, and is connected by a coiledspring H to the frame B, one end of the spring being connected to a lugK and the other to the hub of the pulle v for this purpose.

In a recess in one side of the pulley G is inserted a cage L havingcompartments the outer walls of which, instead of being at a constantdistance from the center of the spindle, gradually approach nearer to itand contain steel rollers M between which the projections F extend.

The cage is held in place by aplate N, and the movement of the pulleywith respect to the spindle is determined by a lug O on the inner wallof the former and a sto or lug P on the frame B. A chain or itsequivalent R, with a ring S that may be readily engaged by a hook on theend of a pole, is secured to the periphery of the pulley.

In the operation of the device the chain is pulled to rotate the pulleyin the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, and in so doing to wind up thespring H. As the sleeve G is held from rotating by the friction of thesprings E, the rolls M do not rotate with the cage L until thecompartments have advanced so far as to jam the rolls between the wallsof the compartments and the spindle A. The further movement of thepulley now rotates both the spindle and the sleeve, as the rolls havelocked the pulley to the spindle and the sleeve is carried along bymeans of the rolls pressing against the projections F, flange D slidingunder springs E. The spindle is thus rotated to wind up the motor. Whenthe pulley is released after having been turned through its limitingarc, or any part of the same, it is restored to its normal position bythe spring II, but as the sleeve C is frictionally held in engagementwith the frame B, thefingers F will stop the rolls and allow the pulleyto move past them until the wider end of the compartment is reached. Thespring H will now rotate the pulley, rolls and sleeve, as a unit, freefrom the spindle, until the lug O engages the stop P. Another pull uponthe chain will further rotate the spindle A. When the mechanism istripped, the spindle A will rotate in an anti-clockwise direction, butthe sleeve C being frictionally held, will keep the rolls in theirnormal position so that they will not lock the spindle and the pulley,and the spindle will be entirely free.

The improvement is not limited to the specific form of roller cagedescribed, nor to the use of cylindrical as distinguished from sphericalrollers, nor to the application of the device as a Winding attachmentfor any special form of motor, a clock spring motor being assumed merelybecause it is typical of the class contemplated.

W hat I claim is 1. In a clutch, the combination of a supporting frame,a rotatable flanged sleeve mounted in said frame and having projectionsalong its axis, a friction spring adapted to bear on the flange of saidsleeve, a shaft extending through said sleeve, driving menibers locatedbetween said projections and adapted to engage said shaft, a pulleymounted upon said sleeve and having re- .cesses adjacent to saidprojections and adapted to engage said driving members, means adapted torotate the pulley in one direction, means adapted to rotate the pulleyin the opposite direction, and means adapted to limit the rotation ofthe pulley in either direction.

2. In a clutch, the combination of a supporting frame, a rotatableflanged sleeve mounted in said frame and having projections along itsaxis, a friction s Jring adapted to bear on the flange of said s eeve, ashaft extending through said sleeve, driving members located betweensaid projections and adapted to engage said shaft, a pulley mounted uponsaid sleeve and having recesses whose walls gradually approach saidshaft adjacent to said projections and adapted to engage said drivingmembers, means adapted to rotate the pulley in one direction, meansadapted to rotate the pulley in the opposite direction, and meansadapted to limit the rotation of the pulley in either direction.

porting frame, a rotatable sleeve mounted in said frame and havingprojections along its axis, a friction spring mounted on said frame andadapted to bear on said sleeve, a shaft extending through said sleeve,driving members located between said projections and adapted to engagesaid shaft, a

pulley mounted upon said sleeve and having recesses adjacent to saidprojections and adapted to engage said driving members, means adapted torotate the pulley in one direction, means adapted to rotate the pulleyin the opposite direction, and means adapted to limit the rotation ofthe pulley in either direction.

4:. In a clutch, the combination of a supporting frame, a rotatablesleeve mounted in said frame and having projections along its axis, afriction spring mounted on said frame and adapted to bear on saidsleeve, a shaft extending through said sleeve, driving members locatedbetween said projections and adapted to engage said shaft, a pulleymounted upon said sleeve and having recesses whose walls graduallyapproach said shaft adjacent to said projections and adapted to engagesaid driving members, means adapted to rotate the pulley in onedirection, means adapted to rotate the pulley in the opposite direction,and means adapted to limit the rotation of the pulley in eitherdirection.

5. In a clutch, the combination of a supporting frame, a rotatablesleeve having frictional resistance to rotation in relation to saidframe and having projections along its axis, a shaft extending throughsaid sleeve, driving members located between said projections andadapted to engage said shaft, a pulley mounted upon said sleeve andhaving recesses adjacent to said projections and adapted to engage saiddriving members, means adapted to rotate the pulley in one direction,means adapted to rotate the pulley in the opposite direction, and meansadapted to limit the rotation of the pulley in either direction.

6. In a clutch, the combination of a supporting frame, a rotatableflanged sleeve having projections along its axis, a friction springadapted to bear on the flange of said sleeve, a shaft, driving memberslocated between. said projections and adapted to engage said shaft, apulley having recesses adjacent to said projections and adapted toengage said driving members, and means for rotating the pulley in eitherdirection.

7. In a clutch, the combination of a supporting frame, a rotatableflanged sleeve having projections along its axis, a friction springadapted to bear on the flange of said sleeve, a shaft, driving memberslocated between said projections and adapted to engage said shaft, apulley having recesses whose walls gradually approach said shaftadjacent to said projections and adapted to engage said driving members,and means for rotating the pulley in either direction.

8. In a clutch, the combination of a supporting frame, a rotatablesleeve having frictional resistance to rotation in relation to saidframe and having projections along its axis, a shaft, driving memberslocated between said projections and adapted to engage said shaft, apulley having recesses adjacent to said projections and adapted toengage aid driving members, and means for rotating the pulley in eitherdirection.

9. In a clutch, the combination of a sup porting frame, a shaft, apulley loosely surrounding the shaft and provided with beveledcompartments containing driving members, a sleeve intermediate to thepulley and shaft and capable of rotary movement with respect to saidpulley, said shaft, and said frame, and having frictional resistance torotation with respect to said frame, and provided with projectionsextending between the driving members.

10. In a clutch, the combination of a supporting frame, a shaft, apulley loosely surrounding the shaft and provided with beveledcompartments containing driving members bearing on said shaft, a sleeveintermediate to the pulley and shaft and having frictional resistance torotation with respect to said frame, and provided with projectionsextending between the driving members.

11. In a clutch, the combination of a frame, a driven member, drivingmembers adapted to engagesaid driven member, a determining member havingfrictional resistance to motion with respect to said frame and adaptedto be moved by said dr ving members, and a driving pulley havingrecesses adapted to engage said driving members,

12. In a clutch, the combination of a frame, a driven member, a movabledetermining member having frictional resistance to motion with respectto Said fr me, a driving pulley, and means operated solely by thedriving pulley for moving the determining member and adapted to drivethe driven member at certain times.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, this 26th -day ofJune, A. D., 1918,

CLARENCE E. BEACH.

I/Vitnesses W'. T. KENDALL BROWN, O. M. CoNNnR'roN.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

